


Age before beauty

by Galahard



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Don't mess with Eggsy, M/M, protective!harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4658793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galahard/pseuds/Galahard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Eggsy's been getting shit about his relationship with Harry - specifically, the age difference. Harry finds out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Age before beauty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Remy (iamremy)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamremy/gifts).



“Good evening,” Harry called out cheerfully, stripping off his blood splattered jacket and hanging it up on the peg. Merlin didn’t even look up, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Is someone still out?”

“Kay’s being extracted,” the bald man muttered before pressing a button on the side of his headset and barking orders into it.

“I’ll get out of your hair then,” Harry offered, mind already drifting to thoughts of a warm bed and sleeping later than he should.

“Hold on, I need to talk to you.” Harry froze where he was, knowing Merlin wouldn’t risk breaking his concentration during a mission unless there was a valid reason. He watched the bald man devote himself once again to the task at hand, leaving Harry to loiter in the entryway until Kay was safely ensconced in a Kingsman helicopter.

It was pointless to rush Merlin, he was stubborn and it would get him nowhere, not unless he wanted to badger him into talking but that would leave him with an irate Scotsman. Not a pleasant situation.

Thankfully Merlin didn’t seem inclined to make him wait any longer. “Sorry for keeping you. It’s nothing too major, just something I’d like your help with. Keep an eye out as it were. Lately it seems as though Eggsy has been a bit off his game. Not quite distracted, but he’s had a couple of close calls that are fairly uncharacteristic of him. Enough to notice, but not to bench him. Have you noticed anything at home?”

He was shaking his head before he really thought about it, then stilled. “Perhaps. Nothing major, like you said, but he has been a bit more subdued the past couple of weeks. I just thought that maybe he was exhausted from his missions.” It was worrisome, but he tried not to let it show as he moved toward the door. “Thank you Merlin, I’ll keep an eye out.”

\----------

It wasn’t like he was trying to snoop. It just so happened that when he got home Eggsy had fallen asleep in front of his computer, and when he went to shutdown the computer he happened to see the latest messages he’d received.

_roxinsox: it’ll be okay Eggsy, just try not to think about him_

If he tried to explain it to anyone he was sure they’d never believe him. How on earth could he accidentally see that message because Eggsy had passed out in front of his computer (granted there was a whisky scented glass nearby) on the very evening that Merlin had warned him something might be going on that Eggsy was trying to hide?

Honestly he didn’t believe it himself.

What happened next was no coincidence, merely an action taken by the sign given to him. He put his skills to work, easily scrolling up the conversation, scanning along.

_roxinsox: he’s going too far with this idiotic joke of his_

_eggsovereasy: yeah?_  
so what  
ain’t nothing going to change  
what am I supposed to do 

_roxinsox: oh I don’t know, tell Harry?  
at least tell Merlin_

_eggsovereasy: I ain’t going to rat him out_  
not over a bunch of retirement home fliers  
it ain’t a big deal 

_roxinsox: you and I both know it’s not just that  
He’s already stuffed your locker full of viagra_

_eggsovereasy: and he gave me that life alert thing in front of Percy_  
he’s just a fucking prick  
it ain’t doing no harm  
probably just hazing or some shit 

_roxinsox: Yet. The keyword is yet.  
You shouldn’t let Bedivere get away with this Eggsy. “Hazing” or not it’s harassment._

_eggsyovereasy: whatever, I’m too tired for this shit_

Harry forced himself to stop scrolling, instead shutting off the computer completely and hoping Eggsy would think he’d done it before going to sleep.

Instead of waking Eggsy up to move him to their room he found himself headed there on his own, mind practically humming as he mulled over what he had learned. They each had their own point. Little could be done officially but a slap on the wrist, and it might just make things more difficult for him in the long run.

On the other hand, he had a name, and he couldn’t allow Bedivere’s actions to continue unchecked. It was a very good thing he didn’t always do things through official channels.

\---------

Just because he didn’t go through official channels, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to use the resources available to him. He’d been through training with Merlin and worked alongside him for years. The genius behind the curtain had gotten him out of as many scrapes as he’d gotten him into. They went far enough back that he had photos of them together where Merlin still had hair, and then that awkward bald cap before he’d finally just shaved it all off.

He knew the man’s real name and was still alive. 

They were close.

There were rules they observed though. Things they didn’t bring up when they were on the clock, signals they used when they needed to speak privately. Still it didn’t take long to get him alone, and then it was a simple matter of telling Merlin his plan. The only hard part was convincing the man it was all he had planned. 

That was how he found himself mere days later standing across from Bedivere in the garden of the Kingsman estate, a grateful smile tugging at his lips.

“Thank you for being available on such short notice, I trust Merlin filled you in?”

“Yeah, you’ve been going on fairly simple missions recently and before he sends you out again, Merlin wants you to spar against an experienced Kingsman. Are you sure I’m the best option though? I don’t use a traditional fighting style so it might not be an accurate comparison.”

“And that’s part of why I thought we should probably spar in less than ideal conditions, don’t you agree? After all, how often does a mission let you go into a fight without having to do a little work beforehand? I thought it might be nice for us to get warmed up a bit before hand.”

“Oh?” He could see Bedivere was intrigued if nothing else, and it was all he could do not to grin.

“You know the old gameskeeper lodgings across the river? The one we stopped using for smaller meetings when the bridge gave out?” Harry waited for a nod before he continued. “Lets meet there in say, an hour if not sooner. No phone calls, Merlin will know if we’re in any danger.”

He could see he was being sized up and stayed relaxed, trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

“Works for me,” Bedivere agreed, and Harry tried not to grin at the confident look in his eye.

\----------

“I probably don’t want to know what he did, but he’s going to regret it.”

Percival’s tone stayed even, his eyes straight ahead, but Harry knew him better than that.

“He deserves it,” Harry pointed out, relaxing as Percival drove through the woods, taking a roundabout path that would basically ensure they’d never be spotted by Bedivere as he tried to make it to the cottage in an hour. With the bridge out it was probably a hopeless time frame.

“Still, are you sure you want to cheat?”

“Percival.” Harry managed to sound scandalized as he looked over at him. “The rules were no phone calls. I told you in person to where to meet me and when. I can’t help it that he took off into the forest without thinking to go back into the estate. We’re spies, he should know better than to prioritize brawn before brains.”

They arrived at the cottage a mere thirty minutes after they’d set off. He reached for the door handle, already starting to open it when Percy spoke up. “What you’re doing, is it going to put a stop to Roxy worrying over that boy of yours?”

“Probably not, but it should take care of a big part of it.”

\----------

He’d gotten the hem of his trousers wet before Bedivere got there, an annoyance but adding the illusion that he’d actually made it there on his own . Harry waited in a chair outside, knowing when Bedivere neared but holding off until the other agent was in front of him before he looked up. “I’d thought you’d gotten turned around,” he murmured after glancing at his watch, knowing it had been well over an hour. “I was just about to go look for you.”

The twitch of a jaw muscle was the only sign that Bedivere was anything other than calm.

It was the only sign he needed. He had already won and the other agent didn’t even know it. “Shall we take a minute for you to catch your breath?” he offered, letting the barest hint of condescension into his voice and watching the man stiffen in his response. 

“I’m ready if you are,” Bedivere bit out.

Harry stood.

\----------

It wasn’t the first time that Harry had slammed him to the ground, but this would be the time that he stayed down. A groan rose unbidden from the man’s mouth, and honestly, the way he had fought the win would have been guaranteed without the little jaunt through the woods.

But it would be so much less dramatic.

His own hair and tie were mussed, but overall he had only the most superficial of wounds, mostly on his knuckles from hitting the other man.

Bedivere had not fared so well. He’d promised Merlin there’d be no lasting damage, and he’d met that easily. This was to prove a point, that Bedivere couldn’t hope to keep up with him, not because he hated the man or actually wished him harm. Of course there were a few minor blemishes, he’d have a spot of difficulty if he had a honeypot mission, but mostly he’d just be sore for the next day or two.

“It looks like I should be fine to go on more physically intensive missions again after all,” he mused aloud. “That’s a relief. Now then, it’ll be getting dark soon so I’m going to go ahead and go back, do you think you can make it on your own?”

The other agent sat up with a wince and the look he tossed at him was both wary and filled with rage. “Oh I suppose you can always call someone to come pick you up,” Harry murmured. “I’m sure they’ll understand.” 

He turned, starting to walk away before pausing mid-step and pivoting. “I almost forgot.” With a flick of his wrist a pill bottle crossed the air between them. “I think you might need this more than I do.”

His back was already to the other agent when he heard Bedivere swear, then the sound of a Viagra bottle hitting the grass somewhere behind him.

A smirk played across his lips as he made his way to his rendezvous point.

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies for not indenting the chat, I'm unsure of how to code that on Ao3.


End file.
